Pandemic update, 8/27/2020.

 

Risky endeavors.

^        This applies almost everywhere in the country now. The comments are from the Stone County Health Department.

 “At this time the majority of our new cases are coming from family gatherings, church services and other indoor gatherings of people. When you gather a large number of people in an indoor space the risk of transmission of Covid-19 becomes very high.”

    Stone county, Missouri had seen a 29% increase and had 234 cases when they made that announcement. We’re on an upward trend as is Missouri as a whole. The data is a couple of days behind. I also track a regional hospital site that sends out notifications via email.

What that doesn’t mean?

    You can still catch COVID-19 in other places so precautions are always in order. Public places are riskier.

    When we eat with our cousin we eat out on the porch. We use hand sanitizer. We hold hands and pray. We stay masked until we eat and drink. We maintain physical distancing. The COVID-19 spread at family gatherings and reunions can be particularly sad. Just use these words to search and you’ll see what I mean. < covid-19 family gathering deaths > (I use Duck Duck Go to search because they don’t track you online.) Quite often it is local news sources doing the reporting.

    What you will also note in the cases that pop up is the resultant community spread that takes place. So in addition to taking out members of their own family they also endanger innocent bystanders.

Good job Sturgis Bikers! Good job!

    That of course brings up Sturgis. Sturgis Bikers went to Sturgis then returned home. Home turned out to involve 61% of the counties in the United States. Cases are now popping up in other states with links to the Sturgis motorcycle rally. Eight states so far. South Dakota is also seeing a surge but their Republican Governor is just basically saying S### was happening anyway. Republican Leadership in general with a couple of notable exceptions is doing their level best to skew data and downplay deaths.

    DENIAL continues to be their main response which of course is why the United States has been hit so hard and will have tens of thousands more needless deaths along with a worsening economic situation.

Testing decline

“Anybody that needs a test gets a test.” -- President Trump, Mar 6, 2020. The link is to the video of President Trump saying this. He’s wearing his mark of the beast hat too!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_XwC9IQKBc

^        In the video Trump also says that testing is important. This was before he decided that testing made him look bad.

^        Yes, testing is in decline. Testing is a key metric for containing the virus, ANY virus. The President thinks it makes him look bad and he’s all about appearances. So the Federal government stopped providing support for testing.

Trump solution

^        The Trump solution to control the Trump Virus is to stop reporting the cases. Simple. The White House is now in control of the data as well. Deaths will start dropping as well. (Not actual deaths, mind you.) Just the reporting.

Republican, Churches and Sturgis Biker death squads.

^        CDC guidelines now say that asymptomatic people don’t need to be tested even if they have been close to a person exposed to COVID-19. The President of the United States who said that everybody that wants one can get one now says, ‘nah don’t need to.’ And the CDC has been directed to reflect that position.

^        Stopping testing doesn’t stop the spread of COVID-19; it increases it. Stopping testing doesn’t stop people from getting COVID-19. Stopping testing doesn’t stop hospitalizations. Stopping testing doesn’t stop people from dying from COVID-19; it will cause more people to DIE. So now Sturgis Bikers have killed people across the country just because they wanted to drink, party and don’t believe the PANDEMIC is serious. Sturgis Bikers have also made contact tracing next to impossible thanks to their irresponsibility.

^        185,000 dead with 300,000 projected to die by December 1^st. (BTW, this projection just keeps going up. Every time the Trump Administration does something incredibly stupid more people start dying so the estimate totals have to be readjusted.) By October, millions of people will know someone that has either died or been hospitalized by COVID-19. Also there’s a good chance that we’ll hit 300,000 by the end of October if things don’t start getting a whole lot better.

^        Who would have guessed that the death squads would turn out to be Republican along with churches and Sturgis Bikers?

 Here’s what works

^        This is what the ignorant refuse to do that makes the Pandemic worse every day.

Ω  Wear a mask in public.

Ω  Keep your distance in public.

Ω  Avoid crowds, ESPECIALLY indoors! Outdoor gatherings should be avoided as well if physical distancing isn’t possible and people aren’t wearing masks.

Ω  Avoid eating inside restaurants. Take out can be safely done.

Ω  Avoid family gatherings. Birthdays, reunions and weddings have been notable COVID-19 hotspots since the beginning of the pandemic. Entire families get hit hard.

^        The above bullet points about masking and gathering applies to churches and ANY religion that has gatherings both large and small. There was a small congregation Presbyterian Church that got hit with COVID-19 because they became lax in implementing safety guidelines.

^        And yes, it is possible to get COVID-19 even if you do everything right. It’s a pandemic. Do the best you can for yourself and those around you.

Unless you’re rich or a Sturgis Biker.

^        The rich are having people tested for COVID-19 so they can still have get-togethers, drink and party. So it isn’t just President Trump that takes COVID-19 testing seriously in regards to personal safety. Pretty cool. The rich can afford for a concierge doctor to provide rapid testing for parties and get-togethers.

^        So the President, the rich and Sturgis Bikers have something in common.

 Just not the testing.

Socialist Utopia

Socialist Utopia

Senator Tim Scott gave a speech at the Republican National Convention.

Here’s what he said at 9 minutes and 45 seconds.

“Make no mistake. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris want a cultural revolution. A fundamentally different America. If we elect them they will turn our country into a socialist utopia.”

I’m not sure he understands the meaning of that word.

Here’s what Merriam Webster has to say about Utopia:  “a place of ideal perfection especially in laws, government, and social conditions.”

The horror!

How about Socialism:  “Any of various theories or systems of social organization in which the means of producing and distributing goods is owned collectively or by a centralized government that often plans and controls the economy.”

Now Senator Scott goes on to say that if that path is followed history has shown us that it will only lead to pain and misery. The pain and misery of “a place of ideal perfection especially in laws, government, and social conditions.”

Unlike the pain, misery and chaos that the nation has endured under the Chosen One President Trump.

All the chaos, division, economic collapse, bankruptcies, unemployment, violence, protests and 185,000 deaths and counting from an out of control pandemic has happened on President Trump’s watch. That’s right. The man that says he accepts no responsibility was in charge. He is in charge. All this mayhem that Trump constantly complains about only demonstrates his complete and utter lack of leadership as well as humanity. A President whose idea of leadership is to lie about the reality that we are living in. A President that watches TV for hours every day, tweets, golfs, name calls, insults, lies, alienates our allies, rules by Executive Orders and works with the Russians to get reelected says that he is the only one, that he alone can fix the mess that he has made of this nation.

Trump’s sister, Maryanne Trump Barry, perhaps said it best.

“He has no principles. None.

You can’t trust him.

Donald is out for Donald, period.”

 

The Christian Persecution League of America.

 

Warning:  There is some vulgar language used.

The CPLA is coming for you!

^        Of late I’m seeing right-wing religious memes circulating that the Chinese government is persecuting Christians again. They bring this up because according to them Christians are being persecuted in our country. What’s more, what’s happening in China is coming at us! Right here in the good old United States of America! Yes, they believe that and are currently selling that notion.

^        I’m pretty sure that Hillary and Bill are, if not the heads, at least are on the board of the secret Christian Persecution League of America (CPLA), a spinoff of the tri-lateral Commission. I think George Soros and Bill Gates are on there as well. They kicked Bernie Sanders off to make a spot for Joe Biden. In case you’re wondering why Bernie was so upset. He’s been upset for quite awhile but he was kind of extra upset for a brief period. Well, now you have the answer.

Christians being tortured!

^        Now periodically the Chinese Government does indeed persecute Christians, as does the Chosen One’s friend Putin, when he gets tired of poisoning enemies and paying bounties for dead Americans. Same thing happens in the Middle East. Funny thing there. The Chosen One banned immigration from the same Middle East countries where Christians are trying to escape actual persecution. He’s preventing Christians from escaping and has the full support of Evangelicals.

Here’s what actual persecution looks like: 

Ω  ‘Russia, Russia, Russia’. Specializes in persecuting Jehovah’s Witnesses. The religion is outright banned. Bibles confiscated and destroyed. Property confiscated. (Church property belongs to the state.)

Ω  ‘China. China.’ Christians imprisoned for holding religious services. Churches torn down. Christians murdered.

Ω  North Korea. Christians imprisoned and killed. If the government finds out they’re gone.

Ω  Saudi Arabia. Death sentence for Christians evangelizing. No Christian symbols allowed in public.

Ω  India. Christians attacked. Christians murdered.  

Ω  Iran. Christians fleeing from persecution.

Ω  Afghanistan. Christians murdered.

Ω  Pakistan. Christians murdered for practicing their faith.

^        Look, I could go on and on with this list but you get the drift. Murder, rape, imprisonment, confiscation of property, etc. are the usual instruments of the more extreme persecution followed by beatings, public harassment, vandalism, etc.

Oh the humanity!

^        I’m not trying to say that Christians in this country aren’t having hard times. Of course they are!

Ω  They have been told that they have to wear masks during a pandemic to save their lives and the lives of others.

Ω  They have been told to keep their distance from each other in public and at church during a pandemic just like everyone else!

It gets worse.

Christians….

Ω  …. with businesses serving the public have been asked to act like Jesus and bake cakes for gay people!

Ω  …. have been told that they can’t discriminate against people for their sexual orientation!

Ω  …. have to allow gay people to marry in churches!

Ω  …. aren’t prevented from praying in private or public!

Ω  …. aren’t allowed to burn people at the stake anymore!

Ω  …. can’t hold any more inquisitions!

Ω  …. don’t get to make people wear scarlet letters!

^        It’s possible that I may have gotten a little carried away. I really didn’t have much to work with since Christians aren’t actually being persecuted in this country. But I’m sure we’re heading there just as surely as President Trump is the smartest man in all of the world if not all of history!

In the real world.

^        To sum up, the United States doesn’t actually make the list of countries where Christians are being persecuted.

^        Christians in this country aren’t being martyred, beaten, tortured, banished, denied food, killed, maimed, raped or thrown in prison by the government. Yes, the government is rounding up, interring and persecuting brown people but that's as close as we come to it and it isn't based upon religion. It's based upon race. Technically there are undoubtedly Christians among the immigrants being detained illegally, BUT Evangelicals are okay with that as long as they’re brown. And yes, there are secret police snatching people (many of whom are very likely Christians) up off the street but it’s because they’re protesting the government that’s snatching people off the street, not because they are or aren’t Christian.

Obviously I skipped some things.

^        Let’s see, there are probably some other things. Oh yes! They have to go the speed limit and wear a seatbelt, or they can get an award from the government. If they work as a cook they have to wear a hairnet! They have to wear shoes in some places if they want service. Same thing for shirts. They can’t smoke in public places because it’s not healthy. (There are a lot of Health Department regulations and inspections that protect us from harm, intentional or otherwise.) Oh wait! They have been required to wear a face mask because there’s a fucking pandemic going on and because the Chosen One has made a complete clusterfuck out of handling the pandemic.

^        Oh yes, Evangelicals are cray. They truly believe that they are being persecuted when they are not allowed to impose their views on everyone else.

The mark of Magamemnon!

^        Evangelicals are okay with killing unbelievers by not wearing masks because they claim that the people that are taking the Trump Virus pandemic seriously are living in fear. Maybe they want to spread the virus as much as possible because they believe that we are living in the end times. (BTW they’ve been selling that line at least since my dad was a kid.)

^        They’re also okey dokey with killing Christian men, women and children. They know that they’re going to heaven, God bless them. The economy comes first! Now that’s right out of the bible, folks, so don’t go and get all snarky with me.

^        Seriously doesn’t MAGA sound like the name of some biblical bad guy: King Maga, son of the Great Magamemnon, struck down the children of Israel! He was the worst of the Seven Kings! Okay, I just made that part up.

^        But enough of this religious fear mongering and onto just your regular average everyday fear mongering. One last thing to the super duper religious people. Isn’t Satan red? One more last thing.

Your God sent a plague.

Why is it more personal this time?

 

2016 versus 2020

    I have realized, at least in part, why this election has become so personal for so many with this President. President Trump has made it personal. In this pandemic President Trump, the Liar, is a very direct threat to everyone, including his own supporters.

    I have friends and family that are Trump supporters. I don’t want them dead or sick either. For whatever reason they support a man that is knowingly putting their lives, all of our lives, at additional risk during a pandemic. He is with malice and forethought intentionally killing people. A pandemic that he only takes seriously as it applies to him, his health, his safety and his chances for being reelected. It’s why he and all those around him are regularly tested. He knows that the virus is not a hoax.

    What he wants his core base of followers to believe is another matter entirely.

Kill you!

    When I’m out and see a conservative Trump supporter not wearing a mask in a crowd I recognize that they are an intentional direct threat to people. To confront them is to only increase the risk to oneself and others. Death from the Trump Virus isn’t a pleasant death. It’s a hard, damaging struggle. Ignorance can’t be argued with, only dealt with in the best way possible. The best way isn’t always possible.

Friends of friends.

    So yes, it’s personal. Someone putting my family and friends in danger is personal. And it’s going to be even more personal when one or more of us comes down with COVID-19 and at worst dies. Every day it comes a little closer now. Stories are coming up in social media, Facebook for me, of knowing people personally that have it. No one on my small list of friends yet but friends of theirs have come down with COVID-19.

    Here in southwestern Missouri hospitalizations and deaths are on the rise just as they are in many other parts of the nation. The country will receive the hit from the quarter of a million Sturgis biker crowd within the next couple of weeks or so. More deaths will follow.

Before this is over you’ll know someone directly that died from the virus.

You’re funny….

    Trump supporters are laughing at and making fun of people that are wearing masks. It’s happened to me. It’s happened to friends. It’s happening all over the internet. Why? Why is that? 175,000 people dead and people that are trying to slow down the pandemic are being ridiculed by Trump supporters. If you wonder why, just go to practically any news article about wearing masks and you will see some stunningly ignorant comments from Conservative Trump supporters. Why is that?

Because that is what the President does.

Chosen One encourage them. They know what they are doing.

    He ridicules people. He makes fun of people. He name calls. He lies. It’s what he does. He did it in his book. He’s going to keep doing it. He makes fun of the common person. He makes fun of the famous. He ridicules his own people. He makes fun of his opponents.

    Why? Because his supporters eat the stuff up. They can’t get enough of it. They cheer him when he does it. They laugh at his vulgar jokes. They laugh when he makes fun of people. They laughed at a rally where a supporter said that immigrants should be shot. He encourages the worst of humanity. He’s the President and has made it okay for them to act out their basest of crude desires. It’s what he does with the Trump Virus.

White power!

    He’s made acting ugly being great. He’s made being white great again. It’s okay now to be a racist because the President of the United States is! White Power! World Wide! The President of the United States of America shared a video tweet of a white guy in a golf cart yelling “White Power.” Perfect imagery. The racist President claimed afterwards that he didn’t know. It’s what he does.

    That’s okay. His racist base knows. They know and they believe. Some of them are very fine people. Just ask the President. He has them working for him.

But wait!

    If Trump is a racist then aren’t his supporters also racist by default since they idolize him? It’s okay. He says that he isn’t so neither are they! Whew! Close one. Except he’s a racist like his Daddy was before him. And a draft avoider like his Granddaddy. Can a racist be supported and their supporter not be racist?

    People contended that George Wallace wasn’t a racist. He was. His own family says that he was. His actions were racist. His language was racist. His accomplishments were racist. His support was racist. People saying that he wasn’t a racist doesn’t change what he was.

What about all the people that Trump’s killing?

    In regards to whose lives he’s putting at risk he doesn’t discriminate and he’s non-denominational. That’s where my friends and family comes in. Now I don’t know that any of them have gone so far as to want to inject disinfectant but just wanting to do anything  dangerous that would indicate they believe the Trump virus is deadly. Supposedly they don’t believe it is except when it is.

    He isn’t alone in causing people to die. He has the complete support of the Republican Party, the Republicans of Congress, the Evangelical Party and all the racist organizations that I usually group up under the heading of White Supremacists et al.

Tricky.

    It’s tricky figuring out how many people have died needlessly because of the complete and utter failure of President Trump and his administration. Typically the number crunchers are projecting end numbers from the tens of thousands to over a hundred thousand. In the end, from what I’m reading they’re going to come out low.

    All across the globe a consensus is developing that COVID-19 deaths have been under counted by a factor of around ten times. In under-developed countries is where this higher number will be most applicable. In our country the number will undoubtedly be lower. It will still end up being a much larger number range than what we’re currently seeing. Across the nation the increase in the usual number of deaths recorded is around 50,000.

How many did the President kill….

    …. and when did he start killing them?

    Trump started laying the groundwork for increasing deaths from a pandemic when he first took office. He began dismantling the federal government leaving no facet undamaged. He did it by wasting 3 ½ years. Instead of the very best people he appointed people that were either incompetent or whose goal was to do as much damage as they could because they were on record with their opposition.

    All this turned out to be especially critical in a pandemic where a coordinated federal response was needed in a variety of departments and disciplines. Even something as simple as getting checks to people was beyond the capability of what remained of government at the federal level. We saw the most obvious example of this in just getting adequate testing and contact tracing. We still don’t have adequate responses in either area.

    What did President Trump accomplish? Well, he cut back Federal support of testing because he thinks that it makes HIM look bad.

    Really he was causing people to die needlessly from the very beginning of when the pandemic first hit the media radar, when he said that it was under control and going to disappear. Technically he may be right as the virus keeps mutating. Viruses are wont to do that and the Trump Virus is no different. Except different demographics are now becoming more susceptible.

Ignorance kills.

    He really counted on the blind following of his supporters that really don’t care if he does shoot someone. Whatever he tells them they believe. He won’t wear a mask so they won’t wear a mask. It’s still a “Democratic hoax!” Even with 175,000 dead so far he has followers that believe this right along with the media blowing things all out of proportion. (That is a different number than the one at the beginning. In the time that I took to write this that many more people died.) The talking heads of his state-sponsored media Fox Pravda supported whatever he said during this critical time so they also have a piece of the death toll.

    When the death toll goes past a quarter of a million Americans there will be a change in how non-maskers are treated. Bikers may need some public relations work to address the damage that they did at Sturgis if people tie increased hospitalizations to their visit. And by damage I mean the innocent people that they killed as a result of their self-indulgence.

5^th Avenue.

    If someone were to stand on 5^th Avenue and started shooting people with a gun they would be stopped if possible by any means necessary. They would probably be killed, especially if they were black. People not wearing masks and maintaining physical distancing is spreading the Trump Virus and killing people. It just isn’t as immediate.

It is what it is.